Trial by Destiny
by ZeraSK
Summary: They were indifferent towards each other, but any interaction was a clash between fire and fire. However, when Yugi begins to experience mysterious visions, he learns that Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner ultimately belong together. Fate had other plans, however, when it brings Kisara's present-day reincarnation into their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** They were indifferent towards one another, but any interaction was a clash between fire and fire. She found him insufferable, unbearable, and egotistical; he didn't find her important enough to even acknowledge her existence. However, mysterious visions convince Yugi that the two unlikeliest of people, Seto Kaiba and Tea Gardner, ultimately belong together. Fate, however, had other plans: Kisara's presend-day reincarnation enters their lives, threatens to change the course of all their futures, and shatters Yugi's long-standing belief in the power of destiny.

A/N: I neither own Yu-gi-oh or its characters, nor do I profit from this story.

Chapter 1

A blinding light.

There it was again. That bright flash of light that preceded each of his dreams. Pharaoh Atem had departed from this world more than four years ago, but perhaps traces of the magic of the millennium items still lingered in this world – just as the pharaoh's memory lingered so heavily in Yugi's memory. As fast as the blinding light appeared, it had disappeared and was replaced with darkness. A little girl's laughter echoed. In the pitch-blackness, the laughter's childlike, carefree innocence seemed to serve as a beacon of light that gave the coldness of the dark a comfortable warmth. Warmth in coldness, light in darkness, this dream was one of great contradictions.

He had been having dreams like this for three nights already, with every dream seemingly becoming stronger and more realistic than the last. They weren't dreams that indicated an imminent danger, or so he hoped. Rather, the dreams were centered on a mysterious presence that revealed itself to him a little each night. From the laughter, he could deduce that this once mysterious "presence" was a little girl. Her laughter rung through his ears clearly.

His eyes fluttered open. Yugi was at the Kame Game shop in his old bedroom, visiting for the summer until his graduate classes started back up again in the fall. He glanced over at his alarm clock on top of his books – 3:00am. Tossing the sheets over him, Yugi walked over to the nearby bathroom and turned on the faucet. He leaned over it, looking into his reflection in the mirror. Four years – four long years had gone by since the passing of the Pharaoh. Four years to grow, to change, and to reflect. Yugi stared intently at his reflection, for every time he stared at himself, he could see the great pharaoh staring right back at him. His pre-pubescent body had been replaced with a tall, lean, muscular build. His large child-like eyes had been sharpened to a deep, steely, and determined gaze. His face now had a refined sculpt, and his once high-pitched voice was replaced with an eerily familiar velvety, deep baritone. Yugi knew he was Atem's present day incarnate, but he didn't know that he would inherit the great pharaoh's appearance down to the T.

The four years didn't change everything, however. Yugi was still the Duel Monster's World champion. However, when he wasn't dueling, he was focused on his second passion: Egyptology. While Yugi had a deep, personal connection with Egypt, his family seemed to have an obsession with the country's rich history. His grandfather, Solomon, was a renowned Egyptologist and archeologist, and Yugi intended to follow in his footsteps. Splashing cold water on his face, he stared again at his reflection in the mirror and began to ponder about his dreams again. These weren't ordinary dreams; these dreams were calling out to him, trying to tell him something. What that was, he didn't know, and he hoped to find out soon.

"Yugi?" asked a voice, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Yugi? Are you alright, dear?" the voice beckoned.

Turning off the faucet and wiping his face with a face towel, Yugi opened the door to the bathroom and came face to face with a middle-aged woman with her graying hair tied up in a bun.

"I'm fine, mom," Yugi said with a smile.

"Well, alright," she said, indicating her hesitance to believe him. "Try to get a good night's sleep – I can hear you tossing and turning in your bed," she said as she made her way back to her bedroom.

Simultaneously, Yugi made his way back to his own room. Closing the door, he made his way to his bed and stared up at the stars from the sunroof. It had been four years already, and it seemed as if there was some sort of weird magic that still lingered in this world. That wasn't what scared Yugi: what scared Yugi was that this magic might pose a danger to his family and friends. Most importantly, with no Atem to guide him, he was afraid of meddling with forces beyond his control.

* * *

"Yug!" "Earth to Yug!"

Yugi was far too caught up in his thoughts to hear the thick Brooklyn accent of his friend. He was too focused on those dreams and what they meant. He wished Atem were still here. Yugi had undoubtedly grown much more courageous over the years, a trait he had learned from the Pharaoh. However, he never had to deal with what appeared to be supernatural forces on his own before.

"Sorry, Joey," Yugi said, finally snapping out of his thoughts. "Just another Duel Monsters stategy came up," Yugi said thinking quickly. The last thing he wanted was to worry his friends.

"Of course you were," Joey said sarcastically, which was followed by a laugh. Yugi had met up with Joey, Tristan, and Tea at a local coffee shop. One thing that certainly didn't change was that the four of them were still best friends after all these years. For that, Yugi was thankful.

Joey was still Joey – a world class Duelist with an unforgettable sense of humor. While Joey was already a top-class Duelist four years ago, he had made a name for himself in the Duel Monsters community by competing and placing 2nd place at all of the tournaments he competed in. Second place in the tournaments Yugi had entered of course. What's more, Joey was also dating Mai Valentine. It was about time, as well.

Tristan joined the military after high school, and just happened to finish another deployment during this summer. While he was still a bachelor, he had his eyes set on Joey's sister, Serenity.

And finally, there was Tea, sitting next to Yugi. Tea had fulfilled her dream of studying dance in New York's prestigious Julliard School, and was even cast as the lead dancer in the latest production of Swan Lake. Like Yugi, she was home for the summer. Her chocolate brown hair now touched her shoulders, her blue eyes still paling a bright summer sky. She was dressed in a long-sleeved turtleneck dress. Black, which hugged her curves and was cut a few inches above the knee. What a beauty she had become. They laughed and talked over coffee, just like old times – coffee replacing the milkshakes they had during their high school days. High school was long gone, but none of them had really changed. And with the exception of ONE person, that was a good thing.

Some people were walking past the floor-to-ceiling picture windows of the coffee shop, and the four didn't pay any heed to the passerbyers. Until now. From the corner of his eye, he saw it – they all did. That slick and signature blue trenchcoat. A hint of silver from the company logo on his lapel. Yugi held his breath as steely blue eyes met his wide-eyed violet orbs – a glance that took a millisecond. The bell atop the coffee shop door dinged, and there, stood the one man the four them didn't expect to see – Seto Kaiba.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Apologies about the long wait. Life got in the way. Thank you to my first two reviewers! In this chapter, I have taken both of your suggestions into account - a longer chapter + more POVs other than Yugi. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

 _Usually_ , this was a cozy coffee shop. He would often visit this cafe with textbooks under his arm and would go about his time here undisturbed. It served strong European coffee, just what he needed for long days of studying and planning out his next Duel Monsters strategy. He loved the smell - fresh brewed coffee mixed with fresh-baked pastries - and he loved the sounds: Beethoven, Pachelbel, and Mozart played softly from the stereo, the classics mixed with the sounds of the crackling fireplace. The architecture of the large interior merged old European style design with modernity: a simple chandelier hung from it's high ceilings, with small LED ceiling lights lining part of the ceiling. Customers entered the cafe through large, white French-style doors. A large dark wood bookshelf filled with old, hardcover books lined the entire back wall, and a black ladder with wheels was perched on the bookshelf so that interested bookworms could reach their selections that were located on the uppermost shelves. At the base of the bookshelf was a fireplace. There were separate sections of the cafe with different types of seating - on one side, there were booths. In another section, there was a large wooden table with about 15 seats for those who wanted to study in groups. And there was Yugi's favorite part: the center of the cafe. In front of the fireplace, there were French chairs and love seats with dusty-blue cushions on top of an old red carpet over the hardwood floor. It looked like a cozy living room. The right side of the coffee shop was lined with ceiling-to-floor picture windows that gave the cafe a natural light during Domino's daylight hours.

"K-Kaiba?" Yugi managed to stammer out. Perhaps fate was merciful today - they were the only ones in the coffee shop with the exception of the two baristas who naturally took an interest in the five young adults. This was the first time he didn't feel so cozy. The warmth of the coffee shop seemed to dissipate with presence of the steely blue-eyed CEO.

Kaiba glanced over at the table of four - the four losers from high school, as he remembered them. Yugi was sitting with the rest of the dweeb patrol: there was not-interesting-enough-to-care about Tristan, the mutt, and the cheerleader. Yugi was dressed in navy blue pants and a white dress shirt under a navy blue vest. Kaiba was dressed in a tailored, midnight blue trench coat over black pants and a black shirt. The signature Kaiba Corporation logo shimmered on his jacket lapel, and just as he did back in high school, he completed his outfit of the day with a scowl on his face that managed to make Joey Wheeler sick to his stomach.

"Well, I see you dweebs haven't grown up," Kaiba smirked as he approached them. He hadn't seen them in nearly four years, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"And I can see some things never change," Yugi said with a smile. "It's good to see you," he continued, trying to be genuinely friendly.

Kaiba's smirk immediately turned into a frown. "Spare me the pleasantries, Yugi," Kaiba snapped back. "Unlike you and your little friends here, I have managed to do something far more worthwhile with my time," he started. "As you've all probably seen, the new virtual reality system of my latest Duel Monsters simulation game is engineered to nearly perfection." The frown turned into a smirk. "As it should be - I personally engineered it."

Yugi gave a smile as he watched Joey attempt to give Kaiba a piece of his own mind. Kaiba however just mocked Joey with an all-knowing, "I'm better than you" smirk. Maybe some things never changed, but they all certainly grew up. Even Kaiba did - his body slightly more muscular, and his eyes even colder. Four years had even sharpened the angles of his face.

"I don't have time for your childish games you barking Chihuahua!" Kaiba shot back after Joey had talked his mouth off to him.

"You're the one who started it, rich boy!" Tristan said, ready to defend Joey.

"Hnn" Kaiba smirked. He turned his gaze to Tea. "Gardner," he started. She gave a frown. "Why don't you keep this mutt on a leash," he said coldly.

In a flash, time stopped – but only for Yugi. The pupils in his violet eyes dilated. He could feel the blood in his veins grow cold, and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. His hands, which circled his warm coffee cup, suddenly became numb. There it was again – that vision – that flash of light that he saw in his dreams. What the hell was going on? Thankfully, he snapped out of it.

Blue eyes bore into blue. "Watch it, Kaiba" Tea growled. Her blue eyes emitted a spark - a fire - that clashed with the ice of his azures that seemingly could not be melted away. Throughout their adventures back in high school, their interaction was always sparse - and he wanted to keep it that way. Kaiba turned away quickly, hoping that he wouldn't set her off with those annoying friendship speeches she always gave back in Duelist Kingdom. He turned around so his back was to them.

"Take care, Yugi," Kaiba said, with no friendliness in his voice as he exited the coffee shop. "Domino City has been….quieter without you." And as quickly as he appeared, he was gone.

* * *

"Goodbye!" Tea waved as she slung her dance bag over her shoulder. She had spent the rest of the afternoon at Domino's ballet school, practicing her dancing in the large mirrored studio while helping younger pupils with their basics. Tea had finished her tour with the New York Ballet for this year, but being away from New York didn't mean she had a break from dancing. When she was home in Domino, she would practice at the city's ballet academy. The pink ribbons of her ballet shoes haphazardly hung out of her gym bag, as she attempted to stuff her belongings into it when she heard that a storm was about to abruptly hit Domino. With no umbrella and no car, she had to make sure to get back to her parent's house before it rained. As she exited the studio, however, the rain had already started coming down, and she found herself stranded at the studio.

"Just great," she sighed as she watched the rainfall. The bus stop was too far for her to walk without her clothes getting drenched, but perhaps she could ask one of her friends for a ride home? She looked at her cell phone, and frowned when she had no signal.

"Just my luck!" Tea said as she looked up at the sky.

Well, the only option now was to walk that half mile home. If she ran, she wouldn't be long. She'd be drenched, but hey, after maybe a 10 minute walk, she could take a nice hot shower and climb into bed. She gave a heavy sigh as she made her way in the heavy downpour. Just seconds into the walk, her clothes were nearly drenched, and her brown hair wilted and stuck to the back of her neck. She gave an exasperated sigh as a nearby car slightly splashed her - she could feel water in her brown boots, as her dancing leggings and leotard became soaked. Two minutes into that uncomfortable walk, however, a black sports car pulled up near her.

"Hey, Tea! Long time no see!" called a voice. Tea turned and gasped in surprise as she laid eyes on the driver.

"Mokuba?!" Tea asked excitedly.

"Get in the car! You're gonna get soaked!" Mokuba called. Tea was happy to oblige.

Once she got into his car, and he rolled up the windows, she leaned over and gave him a big hug. She hadn't seen him in four years, and how he had grown! His voice was deeper, and he was obviously taller. He was dressed in the blue Domino High School uniform, where she presumed he was a sophomore. His messy mop of black hair was shorter, but still went a little below his shoulders. He wasn't that same little boy he was four years ago, but his grey eyes still showed the mirth and warmth they always had since he was a little kid.

"Mokuba! It's so good to see you!" Tea said as she let him go. "I can't believe how much you've grown!" She said taking a look at him again.

Tea told him the directions to her house, as Mokuba was kind enough to drive her. "Yeah, how long as it been? Four years?" He said as he finished putting in the directions to her house onto his GPS. "How have you been?" He asked her as he began driving.

"I'm well! I just finished a tour with the New York Ballet, so now I'm home for a little bit!" She said excitedly. "Wow, I can't believe you're in high school now! I remember that uniform!" Tea said.

Mokuba beamed. "That's good to hear you're doing well!" He said excitedly.

They chatted like old times, as if four years hadn't gone by at all. Tea learned that Mokuba was doing well in all his classes, and he was interested in studying computer engineering at the University once he finished high school.

"I know I won't be as good at programming like Seto," Mokuba said, "but maybe I can give him a run for his money," he continued.

"I'm sure you will!" Tea said. However, she gave a frown when she saw the large traffic barrier blocking off the road to her house, preventing the car from going anywhere.

"What happened?!" Tea gasped.

"it looks like a tree is blocking the road," Mokuba said as he tried to look through the front window with the wipers on. "The lightning must have hit it," he commented. Mokuba noticed Tea freezing in her soaked clothes.

"My house isn't too far from here," Mokuba said, "And you're soaked. You can come over to the mansion and dry off at least," he offered.

"That would be nice!" Tea said. "Thank you Mokuba!" She was grateful. Mokuba turned the car around, and they headed back to the Kaiba Mansion.

"Mokuba, this place is unbelievable!" Tea said as she observed the foyer and living room of the mansion. She had never been in here before. Guests were greeted by an elaborate chandelier hanging from the high ceilings, and a stunning double staircase that led to the top floor. The walls were painted ivory, with what looked like expensive looking paintings on the walls. The floor of the living room was covered in a plush, navy blue carpet. A white grand piano was in the corner of the living area, which was decorated with ornate furnishings and expensive looking sofas.

"Thanks! Seto brought in some professional interior designers for this place," Mokuba said as he gave his school jacket to one of the maids.

Tea frowned. She forgot that this wasn't just Mokuba's place - it was Kaiba's place too.

"Want hot chocolate?!" He said excitedly as he went into the kitchen.

"Um, sure Mokuba," Tea said, hoping Kaiba wouldn't come home any time soon. She wasn't in the mood to speak to that jerk. To be honest, she was NEVER in the mood for him.

Mokuba came out with two cuts of hot chocolate, and a white towel for Tea to dry off in. Tea thanked him and took a seat next to the fireplace in the living room. God, this place was cozy and warm, even though Kaiba wasn't.

Tea listened as Mokuba talked her ear off with the video games he was playing, how much high school sucked, and what he planned to do over the summer. Tea gave a smile - why the heck couldn't Kaiba be as nice as his brother. The younger Kaiba was obviously the warmer of the two. She talked to him about New York, and how her dance practices were going. He seemed genuinely interested in her new adventures outside of Domino. Mokuba was so enthralled in her story, and he didn't seem to notice that Tea was uncomfortable with her anticipation that Kaiba would enter the house any second.

"I know what we can do, Tea!" Mokuba said gesturing her to follow. "I can show you the new prototype for this new virtual reality system my brother was designing!" He said excitedly. "Come on!" He said as he ran down a hallway in the mansion.

"Mokuba, wait up!" Tea said as she attempted to follow him throughout the long halls and corridors of the mansion. She didn't really care for Kaiba OR his latest gadgets, but at least this would prevent her from seeing him any time soon.

After what seemed to be a lifetime, Tea finally caught up with Mokuba at the elevator that brought them to a secret laboratory underground. Mokuba excitedly went up to this fingerprint and eye scanner that scanned his iris and his fingerprint. The light turned green.

"Welcome, Mokuba Kaiba," the AI said robotically.

The lights in a large dark room opened, and virtual, holographic computer screens with graphs and numbers Tea couldn't decipher appeared. Tea looked around, and noticed that in the floor above them was an observation room that had a window that looked down into the laboratory below.

"Better not touch anything in here," Tea said as she looked around the room filled with screens and futuristic gadgets.

After Mokuba entered some data into one of the holographic computer screens, it disappeared, and the floor opened. Out from the floor, rose this comfy looking, futuristic bed, which was slightly angled so the person's head could be propped up. She recalled that the chair looked far more advanced than those chairs they sat in when they entered Kaiba's Virtual World and defeated the Big Five. Mokuba climbed into the chair, and put on a headset. Another holographic computer screen appeared before him. He entered some data in it, and attached what appeared to be suction cups attached to wires, which was attached to another super computer, to his temples.

"This measures my brain waves," Mokuba explained. "This new technology is incredible - it transports you to this virtual world filled with Duel Monsters!"

"Oh, I don't plan to experience THIS again," Tea said, remembering how a glitch once trapped them in Noah's virtual reality world.

"Oh don't worry, Tea," Mokuba said, stepping out of the bed. "I assure you, Seto has fixed all the glitches," he said enthusiastically. She eyed him suspiciously.

"This system is far more advanced, and it allows more than one person to enter the same world!" Mokuba said. Seto and I have tried it many times!" He said enthusiastically. His eyes became hopeful. "Do you wanna try it?!" He asked enthusiastically.

"I don't know, Mokuba," Tea said unsurely. "Your brother probably wouldn't like that." She attempted to reason. _No way in hell am I getting in that._

"Oh come on Tea!" Mokuba pleaded. "think of it as a two-player arcade game - except cooler!" Mokuba said.

"Well, I suppose it's alright, if you and your bother have tried it," Tea said as she got into the adjoining seat. _I'm going to regret this._ The two leather seats were attached to each other, so the players could sit side by side.

Mokuba squealed as she put the wires on her temples, and holographic computer screens appeared before them. "3, 2, 1!" He exclaimed. Then black.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She could feel the separation from her body immediately - it was a surreal sensation, one that she couldn't fully describe to someone who had never experienced this kind of phenomenon. There was blackness once she entered the game, but once her mind had left her body for cyberspace, she found herself transported into a different world. She felt as if the cord between life and death had been cut the moment that her mind left her physical body for cyberspace - it was if she had died in her physical reality, and was reborn into this virtual one.

Tea found herself in the middle of a clearing in a forest. Douglas firs towered all around her, and the familiar scent of evergreen wafted through the air. The ground below her was covered in green grass, which sprouted wildflowers of pinks, blues, and purples. The sky above her mirrored the cerulean in her eyes. She could even feel the rays of the virtual sun warm her skin. This world was colorful, bright, and warm, unlike the persona of the man who played God and created this world.

"Tea!" A voice called. She turned to find Mokuba running towards her,

"It worked," she said softly to herself as she looked down at her hands. Sight, sound, smell, touch, taste - she had it all, and she realized the terrifyingly fine line between the real and the virtual. This was all in cyberspace, but she felt as if she still had her physical body with her. During Battle City, when they were all trapped in Noah's virtual prison, she knew she was in cyberspace. But this – this was on a different level, and she felt her mind begin to doubt itself on what truly was real, and what wasn't.

"Mokuba, it worked!" Tea exclaimed as he approached her.

"Of course it did! My brother designed it remember?" Mokuba said proudly.

A futuristic, holographic screen appeared in front of Mokuba. "Look here, Tea," Mokuba gestured to her. She walked over to him.

"This computer screen appears when you enter this virtual simulation. This is where you can choose your deck, get a map of the game, and get all the resources you need," Mokuba explained. "It's basically your resource when you enter the game - everything you could possibly need, you can find on this screen. Every level has a different terrain, and you can bypass levels sometimes too!" Mokuba continued.

It truly was all incredible. Too bad Kaiba's attitude wasn't as bright and warm as this world he created.

After Mokuba had given her a brief tour of the game, Tea decided that it was fine time to head back to the real world. "Well, I'm glad that you showed this all to me, Mokuba. How about you say we get back?" Tea suggested.

"Sure!" Mokuba said as he entered some data onto the computer screen.

* * *

The thunder rumbled and lightning struck the city as Kaiba stepped into the elevator from his office at Kaiba Corp. He leaned against the wall of the lift as it took him to the ground floor. Some well-deserved sleep was what he needed, but the new prototype of his virtual reality simulator was scheduled to be released to the public in the next few months, and he still needed to fix more of the glitches and finalize the coding. Working on the prototype had been part of his daily schedule for the past few months. After a long, tiring day of firing employees, doing business analytics, and other necessary tasks needed to run a multi-billion dollar company, he would retire to the quiet of his home laboratory. Here, he could work on the prototype undisturbed, just as he preferred things.

Once he reached the base of the building, an assistant wearing a black suit and sunglasses was waiting outside of the lobby for him. Once the young CEO exited the building, the assistant opened a big black umbrella to shield Kaiba from the rain. Once Kaiba was in the limo, the assistant shut the door and retired to the lobby of the building.

The mansion before him was a welcome sight. He would work on the prototype for a few hours, write some new code, and then go to bed. The large black gates of the manor opened as the limousine pulled up. Once the car entered the gate, it drove the long stretch to the large entrance doors. Kaiba exited the vehicle, not caring about the rain. He entered into the warm shelter of his mansion, handing his blue trench coat to one of the maids. He stopped.

 _Why is there a girl's jacket in the living room?_

Maybe one of Mokuba's friends was over?

He didn't think anything of it initially – but if he had looked a little closer, he would have noticed that the jacket was the same one that Tea had draped around her chair at the coffee shop earlier today. And if he had looked a little closer, he would have noticed the pink ribbons of her ballet shoes sticking out of her dance bag. Just a second more of observation, he would have easily deduced that Tea was in their house…..and that something was just a little wrong.

He casually walked to the elevator that would take him down to his laboratory. At last, this updated version of his duel dimension system would be complete – a feat that he was working on for the past few years. It was more futuristic, more real, and the monsters far more terrifying. His first Duel Disk that he invented back in Duelist Kingdom changed the game forever, but this would cement his legacy in the history of the entire game.

After a long ride down, Kaiba finally reached the observation deck. He stopped.

 _Why the hell are the lights on?_

Then, it all clicked simultaneously at once. The unusually quiet house, Mokuba nowhere to be found when he got home, the girl's jacket in the living room. The world didn't seem to be at equilibrium anymore.

 _No. He couldn't have._

He saw Mokuba and Tea in the prototype pods of his updated virtual simulator.

He eyes widened and he clenched his teeth as he raced over to the glass windows of the observation deck.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba yelled as he slammed his hands onto the glass, hoping to get his brother's attention.

With a push of a button in the observation deck, three very large holographic computer screens appeared before him, and so did a virtual keyboard. Kaiba read the complex graphs and charts from the other two screens, and began to read the complex code that displayed on one of the screens. He intended to force quit the program so that Mokuba and Yugi's cheerleader could return from cyberspace, but as his fingers raced across the keyboard, he noticed that the system had froze.

 _What the hell is going on?_

The lights and the screens in the laboratory began to flicker, and sounds of static accompanied the virtual holographic computer screens going gray.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba yelled as he bolted down the stairs from the observation deck to the laboratory.

Mokuba and Tea began to seize in the chairs, bolts of electricity coming from the wires in their temples. Kaiba immediately ran to his brother's pod, and cradled his body in his arms. Once he did, Mokuba went limp - his mind was trapped in cyberspace along with Tea's

 _NO._

 _MOKUBA!_

* * *

The rain drenched the earth with the staccato of a thousand drummers; the thunder the clash of cymbals in nature's cataclysmic orchestra. A whirling storm covered the city, which seemingly reflected the turmoil in Yugi's mind.

"What in the world happened today?" Yugi wondered as he flipped through one of his textbooks. He was sitting on the couch in the living room of his childhood home, the one above the Kame Game shop. His textbooks were scatted to one side of the coffee in the living room, while the other half of the table was covered in his Duel Monsters playing cards arranged into neat rows of five. Usually, when his mind became numb from reading his textbooks, he could switch his focus to Duel Monsters. However, the only thing that preoccupied his mind at the moment was that blinding light that he experienced at the coffee shop today. That vision today was unusual - usually, he experienced such a light only in his dreams.

"I don't see Kaiba in person in four years, and now this," Yugi pondered. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee lingered in the air, and the fireplace crackled in the coziness of his childhood home. Yugi walked over to the large window in the living room, coffee cup in one hand. His other hand was shoved into his pocket as he stared at the heavy rainfall outside. "I thought this was all behind us already," Yugi said to no one in particular. "But why? Why did I experience that vision today?" He stared out of the large window of the living room, as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips.

 _RING RING_

The quiet of the home was interrupted by the ring of the telephone.

"Hello?" Yugi asked as he picked up the phone.

"Yugi." The cold voice said curtly in a no-nonsense tone. Yugi recognized that voice, and the impatience that dripped from it, anywhere.

"Kaiba?" He asked. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" Yugi smiled, with his tone oozing with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Cut the sarcasm, Yugi," Kaiba spat back. "Turns out your little friend Tea decided to try out the prototype of my new virtual reality prototype with my brother, and they've run into some….issues if you will." He said.

"Issues?!" Yugi gasped. "What do you mean issues, Kaiba?!" He was starting to get demanding. He needed to know if Tea was alright. "Where is Tea?!" The interrogation began, the usually calm and collected baritone voice was now laced with fear and worry for his friend.

"Kaiba mansion - be here when you can" Kaiba said curtly.

"Kaiba-" Yugi spat into the phone. The line went dead.

Without any hesitation, Yugi grabbed the green umbrella near the front door, and hurried out in the pouring rain towards Joey's house. If they were gonna save Tea, they had to do this together. If there was anything their adventures from Duelist Kingdom to the Ceremonial Battle taught him, it was that things are just better done when you are never alone, and this was no different - Tea was in trouble, and just like always, they'd get through this together as the team they always were, and would always be.

He ran down the familiar street of that familiar neighborhood, until he came to the steps of a two-story home on well-kept street with gas lamps. The lights in the living room were on, which, to Yugi's relief, meant that Joey was home.

"JOEY! JOEY!" Yugi said as he pounded on the door of his friend's house. In less than a second, Joey answered the door, Tristan standing behind him.

"Yug?" Joey asked.

"Something wrong, bud?" Tristan followed.

They could tell he was exasperated, panting from the run in the rain. His green umbrella didn't shield him entirely from the rain, as his black dress shirt was partly wet. His eyes showed obvious worry.

"Tea is in trouble! We need to go to the Kaiba Mansion - now!" Yugi explained.

"What?!" Both Joey and Tristan said at the same time.

"The Kaiba mansion? What in the world would Tea be doing there?" Tristan asked.

"Kaiba just said to go to his mansion, but I don't know why or what happened!" Yugi said in a panicked voice.

"Well what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Joey said as he immediately put on his jacket.

All three of them hopped in Tristan's car.

The ride was tense, as Tristan sped towards the Kaiba Mansion. Every second counted. Yugi clenched his fist and bit his bottom lip, while Tristan tightly grasped the steering wheel, his brown eyes focused on the road in front of him. Joey fidgeted in the back seat.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the large estate. Tristan had not even pulled the car to a halt when Yugi immediately got out of the driver's seat and ran the long stretch to the large front doors. Joey and Tristan immediately tailed behind him, none of them bothering that the rain was drenching their clothes and making droplets of water drip from their hair.

Yugi slammed both of his hands on the door's expensive wood. "Kaiba!" He screamed. "Kaiba!" He pounded again. The thunder in his voice and the loud pounding on the door ensured that he would be heard.

The door calmly opened, and the three boys faced a maid dressed in a black dress and a white apron. She wore her long black hair in a tight bun on her head.

"Mr. Mutou," the maid beckoned, giving them a curtsy. "Mr. Kaiba is expecting you," she said, her voice calm, gentle, yet monotonous.

She moved to the side to let the three of them in. Another maid dressed in the same uniform appeared, holding towels in her hands. Instinctively, Yugi, Joey, and Tristan took them in order to dry off. The maid that had let them in led them through the corridors of the mansion, and eventually brought them to what appeared to be an elevator.

"Please take the elevator down to the basement," she said. "Mr. Kaiba will meet you there." And with that, she departed as Yugi, Joey, and Tristan loaded into the elevator.

The ride down was silent, and the tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Yugi hadn't ever felt this helpless in awhile, and he knew his friends felt the same way. When they finally reached the bottom, Joey stumbled out of the elevator first, intending to sprint to wherever Kaiba was and demand an explanation.

 _Crash_

He bumped into Kaiba himself, and recoiled backwards from the slight impact.

Kaiba scowled at them - he was still dressed in the outfit he was wearing that morning with the exception of his trench coat. A pair of glasses sat on the bridge of his nose.

"Didn't my maids tell you?" Kaiba smirked. "There are no dogs in my house, Yugi." He said as he stared at Joey.

"Listen, rich boy!" Joey began. "As much as I would love to pound your face in right now, we are here to help Tea!" Joey spat back. "So tell us where she is!" He demanded.

Kaiba grunted and turned out and started walking down the long hallway, which was his way of telling Yugi and his friends to follow him. They immediately obliged. He led them to the observation deck of the large laboratory, and from the large glass windows, they saw Tea and Mokuba sitting in their futuristic pods, wires attached to their temples. The pods were then connected to a large supercomputer, and the holographic computer screens appeared showing data that Joey, Tristan, and Yugi couldn't decipher. There was even a screen that monitored the vitals of both Tea and Mokuba.

Both of Yugi's hands were pressed up against the glass. "What happened, Kaiba?!" Yugi demanded.

"Glitch." Kaiba said curtly.

"So what does that mean?" Tristan asked.

"It means that they're stuck in cyberspace."

"No, not again! I had enough of this virtual nightmare back with Noah!" Joey said.

"I'm going after my brother," Kaiba said as he took off his glasses.

"I'm going with you!" Yugi said, determined.

"Please, Yugi" Kaiba started. "If I needed your help I would have asked for it." Kaiba said back coldly.

"You can't do this on your own, Kaiba! Haven't you learned anything through the years!?" Yugi countered back.

"There is only one prototype left, and I will be the one going to rescue my brother." Kaiba said as he walked downstairs to the lab itself. The three followed.

"Well, what about Tea?!" Joey asked.

Kaiba turned around. "Trust me, it won't take me long to save Mokuba and your little cheerleader," he said. "Besides, I am best equipped to handle this mission on my own, since, you know, I designed this thing."

"Well apparently not good enough!" Joey countered.

Kaiba let out an irritated snort.

"We're not leaving until they're both back," Yugi said.

"Suit yourself," Kaiba said as he pushed a button. By this command, a third pod rose from the floor next to Tea, and Kaiba got in, attaching the necessary wires to himself as he got situated.

"Duel Dimension System X, activate!" Kaiba commanded.

With that, his mind left the physical world to the virtual one he created. He was going to rescue his brother, if that was the last thing he ever did.

A/N: Thanks again for all your reviews. I have to find a way to build up Tea and Kaiba's relationship - since they are so different, I didn't think it was plausible for them to just fall in love with each other immediately.


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